Entropy

Flash Fiction for a SciFi Mag

Entropy

The warheads were unmistakable. Even if Morrigan had not expected them she could have picked them out for what they were. Or at least picked them out for re-entry vehicles. Silent points of light, as bright as tiny suns, leaving long trails of smoke across the sky. Coming across the morning sky with their smokey trails bathed in a different light than objects on the ground. They were at 300,000 feet and the sun was higher for them. And they were right on time, 45 minutes after the idiot President's launch.

They were flying in formation, but on cue, their formation broke up and their trajectories diverged. Six now seemed to be in steep dives. Probably heading for Denver and Colorado Springs. One dove less steeply and God only knew where it was headed. And one now just appeared to be a point of white light. The smokey trail wasn't visible. This one was headed for Morrigan in Fort Collins.

She closed the door of her car. There was no need to go to town now. The breakfast she had been anticipating in the outdoor cafe downtown wasn't going to happen. And there would be no need to duck into the coffee shop with her laptop to prep for Monday.

She knew she had little time and there was only one thing she could think of doing. She went back into the old Laporte farm house and got her staff. Carved over the past 15 years and adorned with the flight feathers that the ravens had left for her. Sixteen in all. Finished with beeswax and polished to a high sheen.

She pointed the staff at the incoming warhead. “You, you will fail. You will not harm this city. I say this and I will take the balance. Let the weight for this be on me. I accept this knowing what I do and what it entails.”

There were flashes against the bottoms of the clouds as the Denver and Colorado Springs warheads detonated. There was no sound, but this might come in the minute or so. Her warhead nosed down and the smokey trail again became visible. She watched it for two more minutes and then an earth shaking sonic boom was heard. The little spot of sun and smokey trail descended down into the center of Fort Collins. There was an explosion that could be heard even out in the farm country of Laporte.

The warhead had crashed into old town Fort Collins, and although it was only about four feet high, and only a few hundred pounds, it's kinetic energy had taken out a city block. The explosives in it's shape charge had gone off and the plutonium core had been released to the open air. But it was nothing like the disaster that had been planned. This was a dud.

Morrigan watched the smoke rising from the town. There were obviously some serious fires caused by the crash.

Morrigan suddenly felt very, very sick and fell back against the car hood. She rolled onto her stomach. Pain started in her chest and radiated down her arms.

“What does there have to be this pain?” She gasped to no one.

“It's a small thing. And unavoidable.” A voice replied. “It's nothing in the bigger scheme of things. And you should know this.”

Things grew black for Morrigan and then she was aware of standing in Hell.

A creature crouched before her. A very ugly and dangerous looking creature. It spoke:

“I admire your courage. I don't know if I would have had the nerve to do what you just did.”

“But now I have to balance the books. Right?”

“Yes, magic is like that. But you know that. And your agreement to take the burden is what made your spell effective. You traded yourself for the city.”

“How long will I be here?” Morrigan asked.

“Until the earth is a very different place. You saved a lot of people, and this has greatly changed the normal progression of things. And you know how that works. The entropy must be balanced, and you will do that.”

“How bad will it be?” Morrigan asked.

“Actually, it probably won't be that bad. You're kind of a hero here.”

Reviews

[Judy Emery/ Lilly Emery]

“Yes, magic is like that. But you know that. And your agreement to take the burden is what made your spell effective. You traded yourself for the city.”


“How long will I be here?” Morrigan asked.

“Until the earth is a very different place. Until the continents have moved. You saved a lot of people, and this has greatly changed the normal progression of things. And you know how that works. The entropy must be balanced, and you will do that.” a very strong imagination I like you story that you for sharing.

[Miss Fedelm]

Thanks for reading. Glad you enjoyed the story. All the flash fiction mags rejected it.

[Shawn Odette]

I like this story. I enjoy reading works that steer you in one direction and then take you somewhere completely different. This story did just that. I have a morbid fascination with the possibility of war breaking out at any given moment, which is what drew my attention. Then you added a supernatural twist and I was all in. Well done.
Shawn

[Miss Fedelm]

Glad you liked it. Thanks for reading.

[Zorg]

I don't even know what the hell some of these magazines want. They always tell you in the submissions section to 'look at previous issues for an idea of what we publish.' Okay, so I do and I figure that my stuff should feel right at home. Submit, wait, watch it sit on idle in the Submittable queue, wait some more. Then weeks later, a pithy little response comes back. The usual: 'it's not what we're looking for.' Okay. Go back to the magazine again, look at whatever it was that replaced the work I put the effort into, and.... it's crap. They've published crap. Repeat the process.

[Miss Fedelm]

Yes, I've given up on flash. Most publishers are hobbiests and I think they get so many submissions they don't look at them very closely.

[Morgan Bland]

A very interesting piece. Engaging, thought-provoking, and well- written. Planning on writing a book?

[Miss Fedelm]

Thanks for the kind review of my weird story. I am writing a book. I have the first 100 pages or so up on my "Writing" page as "Walking Molly's World". It's posted as a long short story as I couldn't make the book chapter thing work.

[Morgan Bland]

You’re very welcome :). Cool! Understandable. Books take so long :(

[Miss Fedelm]

I did it as a collection of short stories and every time I read it I find something inconsistent. Something that doesn't jive with the time line, e.g., someone talks to someone before they officially meet them, etc.

[Morgan Bland]

Mm. Whoops 🙃. That’s frustrating. Cool idea though.